The 20th Bangkok Chess Club Open will be headlined by six former Champions, including 3-time champions GM Nigel Short and GM Rogelio Antonio. We are also welcoming back GM Tejas Bakre (1st BCC Open), GM David Smerdon (7th BCC Open), GM Sune Berg Hansen (10th BCC Open) and GM Francesco Vallejo Pons (14th BCC Open) the rating favourite at 2704 ELO.

The 20th BCC Open will take place at the luxurious Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao, 11–19 April, 2020.

Changes to the format in this year’s tournament mean that there will be no unrated players in the Open Championship, and a minimum ELO of 1600 – so there should be a greater chance of attaining title norms.

Maximum rating in the Challengers is now 2000 ELO, and it is of course open to players who have not yet achieved a FIDE rating (but you must have a FIDE number).

How do you rate your chances against this stellar field? Register today and find out!

• Tournament regulations: here
• Registration: here
• Entry fee payment: here

The 20th Bangkok Chess Club Open is on! It will take place in Bangkok’s Centara Grand Hotel on 11–19 April, 2020.

The venue has a new feature of direct access to the brand new Skytrain station directly in front of the Central Plaza, allowing much easier access to Bangkok’s attractions.

Register now to take advantage of the early bird rates.

• Tournament regulations: here
• Registration: here
• Entry fee payment: here
• Hotel reservation:
  • Room inclusive of buffet breakfast
  • Room only

Look forward to seeing you there.

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Republished courtesy of the Australian Chess Federation

The 19th edition of the Bangkok Chess Club Open was held at the Centara Grand  at Central Plaza Ladprao Hotel in Bangkok from 6-14 April. Two hundred and one players contested the nine-round “Open” tournament (including 13 Australians) whilst a further 103 players participated in the seven-round “Challenger” event (including another three Australians).

Thirty-nine nations were represented, their flags creating a colourful spectacle on each table throughout the well-appointed hotel ballroom.

The feature event was once again headlined by elite Grandmasters Nigel Short and Jan Gustafsson, who require no introduction to chess enthusiasts. A total of seventeen grandmasters were present, including six from India. Australia’s challenge was spearheaded by former winner GM Zong-Yuan Zhao and GM Moulthun Ly, with FM Tim Reilly and Colin Savige in support.

Round 1

Short began the tournament with a spectacular Rook and Queen sacrifice against Indian junior Ramesh Avinash.

In this position, Short shocked his opponent with 29 Rxe6!! intending to answer …Kxe6 with 30 Qxd5+ with mate to follow.

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Germany’s Jan Gustafsson has won his second Bangkok Chess Club Open title, on a tiebreaker over Deep Sengupta of India.

Both Gustafsson and Sengupta were undefeated in the nine round event, winning six games and conceding three draws each against fellow Grandmasters. However Gustafsson’s opponents scored slightly better than those of Sengupta, giving him the coveted BCC Open title, though the two shared 170,000 Baht in prizemoney.

Gustafsson, well known as a tournament commentator and a ‘second’ for World Champion Magnus Carlsen, is a popular winner in Thailand, having competed in almost every BCC Open for a decade. His previous title win came eight years ago in Pattaya. At the end of his winner’s speech at the spectacular closing ceremony, Gustafsson said that the Bangkok CC Open was: “In my opinion by far the best tournament in the world – venue, playing conditions, everything.” 

The final round started at the Centara Grand ballroom with Jan Gustafsson taking an early draw against Indian Grandmaster Dhopade Swapnil, waiting to see if either Filipino International Master Haridas Pascua or Sengupta could catch him. Sengupta soon took control of their game, though only after four hours was Pascua forced to concede defeat.

It soon became clear that, although Sengupta had defeated the top seed Nigel Short, Gustafsson was just ahead on tiebreak and he took home the BCC Open trophy.

Thailand enjoyed a deserved success in the Challengers division when Theemathas Chirananthavat, considered one of our best minds and playing his first tournament for four years, finished tied for first place. However, the Challengers title went on tiebreak to Ric Portugalera of the Philippines, who he had beaten in the previous round.

All material in the press release may be used and photos credited to Bangkok Chess Club.

Our Twitter account is @bangkokchess

Full results may be found on http://chess-results.com/tnr429651.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=1

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